Is the BMW M440i a Good Car?
- An increasingly rare breed, the 2025 BMW M440i is a satisfying option for coupe fans, with style and driving satisfaction that only a two-door can bring.
How Does the BMW M440i Compare With Other Luxury Coupes?
- The M440i’s only real remaining competitor lives over at Mercedes-Benz, which recently launched a CLE that consolidates the automaker’s C- and E-Class coupes into one model. The Benz matches up with the BMW in terms of performance but looks less controversial.
Two-door personal luxury coupes are almost extinct. In the U.S., your choices are the BMW 4 Series you see here, the Mercedes-Benz CLE, the Lexus RC … and that’s it. BMW makes a less expensive 2 Series sports coupe and a more expensive 8 Series coupe, but if you’re looking for four-person luxury without a six-figure price tag, that’s pretty much it. BMW offers the 4 Series in three versions: the base 430i, the more powerful M440i and the high-performance M4.
The 430i comes standard with rear-wheel drive (xDrive all-wheel drive is optional) and a 255-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The dusky-green coupe seen here is an M440i xDrive, which is an AWD version of the 4 Series with a 386-hp, turbo six-cylinder engine. It’s the last stop on the roster before the high-powered M4 Coupe, which is itself available in three trims.
The 4 Series isn’t the most popular model in the BMW lineup, but does that make it any less enjoyable or desirable? There’s just something about a coupe that makes a fantastic statement and delivers an experience like no SUV can, and that holds true with the latest M440i — albeit with all the difficulties present in a lot of BMWs these days.
Related: 2025 BMW 4 Series: Mild-Hybrid Power, $51,695 Starting Price
How Much Does a 2025 BMW 4 Series Coupe Cost?
Assembled in Dingolfing, Germany, and imported to the U.S., there are two basic flavors of the 4 Series Coupe: 430i and M440i. RWD is standard, with BMW’s xDrive AWD system available on both versions for an extra $2,000. All prices include a surprisingly reasonable $1,175 destination fee:
- 430i Coupe: $52,325
- M440i Coupe: $66,025
The Styling Still Hurts …
Luxury coupes are meant to be long, lovely, swoopy and curvaceous — boldly styled to draw attention, but tasteful enough to be the right kind of attention. BMW styling, meanwhile, has produced a difficult mix of daring lines and unpleasant shapes for years now, to the point that it’s turned off some buyers. The latest version of the 4 Series is a mixed bag in this department. It’s distinctive, and it’s clear that BMW has gotten the message about its beaver-toothed grille, as the blacked-out trim on the current model helps it blend in a bit better. Even so, the 4 Series is still not what one would call a pretty car. Next to a Mercedes-Benz CLE coupe, it looks awkward and odd. Of course, styling is subjective — maybe you think it’s the most gorgeous interpretation of the classic BMW look to come along in years. You’re entitled to your opinion (regardless of how wrong it is).
… But the Driving Experience Doesn’t
Where BMW makes up for its recent styling deficiencies is in its driving experience, and that holds true with the M440i. Unlike the wild powertrains we’re starting to see in BMW’s M performance models (see my M5 review), the M440i uses a more conventional motivator: a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine that makes 386 hp and 398 pounds-feet of torque. That’s a “system” rating, however; the powertrain uses 48-volt mild-hybrid technology that integrates a starter-generator, which adds 11 hp. You’ll never notice any hybrid oddness in its operation, though; you’d never even know it was a mild-hybrid unless you read the specs.
Acceleration is fantastic — either quiet and sedate or blisteringly quick, depending on what you want and which drive mode you’re in. BMW says the M440i xDrive can do 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and I’ve no reason not to believe it. The standard eight-speed automatic transmission is the only one offered (there hasn’t been a stick shift in quite some time here), but it’s well matched to the engine and snaps off quick, drama-free shifts. Frankly, in a coupe that’s equal parts luxury and sportiness, the automatic feels more appropriate than a stick shift.
Dynamically, there’s truly nothing to complain about in the M440i. Steering feel through the super-thick sport-style steering wheel is excellent, as is road surface feedback. Ride quality is also top notch — even with its big, beautiful 19-inch wheels — thanks to the optional Adaptive M Suspension on my test vehicle. Road imperfections are easily absorbed; nothing will disturb you or your passengers. The brakes are strong and exhibit no fade during aggressive driving, and they aren’t grabby or squeaky at lower speeds like carbon-ceramic brakes would be. It’s a solid-feeling, entertaining sports coupe that delivers driving satisfaction you simply can’t get from an SUV. It might not look great, but it feels great to operate.
A Mixed-Bag Interior
Inside the M440i, you’re faced with a bit of a conundrum. Materials quality in the cabin is quite decent, matching up well with the car’s price tag. Our test car had BMW’s available Mocha leather seats and trim, and it looked and felt lovely, especially combined with the car’s Cape York Green Metallic exterior paint (this is a dynamite spec). Carbon-fiber trim is everywhere if you opt for the optional trim package, but you can skip that if it’s not to your taste; wood or metal trim can be had instead. Ambient lighting is available in many different colors, but that’s common these days.
Unfortunately, also common is the idea that a massive rectangular dashboard screen is somehow stylish. That’s what you face in the M440i: a huge curved display that incorporates both a gauge cluster and a touchscreen running the latest BMW multimedia system. On one hand, it’s big and bright, configurable to display tons of information in a few different styles. On the other hand, for new users (or older customers who struggle to operate a smartphone), it’s overwhelming and confusing, laden with icons, menus, systems and apps. The climate controls are also incorporated into the touchscreen, though they feel a bit simpler to operate than the last iteration I tried. One competitive advantage over the CLE: the 4 Series’ steering wheel does not have touch-sensitive controls (they’re traditional buttons), so there’s no accidentally triggering a function while just trying to drive the car normally.
Comfort in the front seats is excellent, as is outward visibility to the front and sides. The narrow rear window and thick roof pillars make the rear-quarter view a little challenging, but not a lot — and there are more than enough safety systems in the M440i to help you detect anything in your blind spot. Backseat comfort is challenging, but that’s the nature of a coupe — if you cared about people sitting in the backseat, you’d get a sedan or SUV instead. The coupe is meant to be seen in and to enjoy the experience — and to make a statement that you have enough money to make an expensive, impractical vehicle your main conveyance.
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Should You Buy a 2025 BMW M440i Coupe?
Despite the quirks that come with all new BMWs these days, the driving enjoyment of the M440i — and the undeniable message that driving a coupe sends — really can’t be substituted for anything else. It’s a beautifully balanced, technologically advanced machine, with styling that, while polarizing, is certainly distinctive. It will get you noticed. My very-well-optioned M440i xDrive included some useful option packages — including the Premium Package (which adds Harman Kardon premium audio, a head-up display and a power trunk lid) — and it had an as-tested price of $76,445. That matches up well with a well-equipped Mercedes-Benz CLE450.
As coupes continue to disappear from showrooms, your choices are increasingly limited. But the ones that are still available, like the M440i, are solidly enjoyable. Get one while you still can.
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